RFID Tracking for Surgical Sponges

I saw this article on Medgadget and thought it might be of interest to those looking at how RFID tags can be used in Healthcare. This machine will help keep track of those pesky swabs that keep getting lost in patients.

"Conceptually, the process is a little like finding a coin on the beach with a metal detector, but much more high-tech and precise. Each sponge has its own ID number coded in its RFID tag. The SmartSponge System can read and record the unique ID number of each sponge as it comes out of its packaging in the OR, as it is used in the patient, and as it is removed and disposed of. Both the SmartSponge and SmartWand-DTX count multiple sponges and read through blood and tissue, and they can locate a missing tagged sponge using radio waves to signal the RFID tag to identify itself. Both systems also use the same RFID-tagged consumables, providing hospitals for the first time with a choice of devices to best address the unique conditions of each OR.